Double wall tray

ABSTRACT

A double walled tray includes parallel double sidewalls including outer sidewalls and spaced inner liner walls connected by top flanges. End walls are connected to the outer sidewalls by pairs of gusset flaps. A top flap and a reversely turned locking flap hold the gusset flaps against the end walls.

[451 Aug. 6, 1974 DOUBLE WALL TRAY Inventor: Robert A. Bliss, St. Paul, Minn.

l-loerner Waldorf Corporation, St. Paul, Minn.

Filed: Nov. 24, 1972 Appl. No.: 309,435

Assignee:

US. Cl. 229/34 HW, 229/31 FS Int. Cl B65d 5/22 Field of Search 229/34 l-lW, 31 ES;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1945 Arneson 229/34 HW 2,531,255 11/1950 Clarke 229/34 HW 3,182,886 5/1965 Persson 3,499,597 3/1970 Katzman 229/34 HW Primary Examiner--William 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Douglas B. Farrow Attorney, Agent, or Firm-R0bert M. Dunning; Jerry F. Best [5 7 ABSTRACT A double walled tray includes parallel double sidewalls including outer sidewalls and spaced inner liner walls connected by top flanges. End walls are connected to the outer sidewalls by pairs of gusset flaps. A top flap and a reversely turned locking flap hold the gusset flaps against the end walls.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures minnows 6w" 'SHEET 1 BF 2 5 W F m m PATENTEB M19 6 1974 SHEEI 2 0F 2 1 DOUBLE WALL TRAY This invention relates to an improvement in double wall tray and deals particularly with a structure which will lock together and form a double wall tray structure which has certain advantageous over the previous structures of this type.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present device comprises a tray having a generally rectangular bottom panel, sidewall panels hingedly connected to the bottom panel on opposite sides thereof, top'display panels, liner wall panels, and anchoring panels which are secured to the liner wall panels, and which are designed for attachment to'the bottom panel. In forming the trays, the top panels and liner wall panels are folded inwardly from the sidewall panels, and are glued or similarly attached to the upper surface of the bottom panel. When the sidewall panels are erected the sidewall liner panels are in spaced relation to the sidewalls so as to form parallel hollow walls.

The sidewall panels are attached to end wall panels by means of generally triangular gusset flaps which fold inwardly of the end walls. A top flap is connected hingedly to the upper edge of each of the end walls, and an anchoring flap is hingedly connected to this top flap to fold beneath the same. These anchoring flaps, in the assembled trays, lock the end walls in upright position, and hold the trays assembled.

A feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the diagonal fold lines connecting triangular gusset flaps are at slightly less than 45 to the fold lines connecting these gusset flaps to the sidewalls. This has a tendency to draw the triangular gusset panels into close relation to the sidewalls in the assembled form of the tray.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of anchoring flaps which extend through slots or notches at the upper ends of the sidewall liner panels. The anchoring flanges are adapted to fold against the inner surfaces of the triangular gusset panels to hold these gusset panels from folding outwardly.

A further feature of the present invention resides in embossing areas of certain of the gusset flaps so that they engage tightly against the ends of the sidewall liner panels. These embossed areas tend to hold the various walls of the tray tightly engaged so that the end walls cannot unfold when once engaged.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a diagrammatic view of one end of the carton blank before the start of the folding operation.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the top .panels and sidewall liner panels folded into position against the bottom panel and adhered thereto.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tray in partially erected form.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the tray in erected position.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the tray in its erected form.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail section, the position of the section being indicated by the line 66 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the complete blank.

The tray A is indicated in its blank form in FIG. 7 of the drawings. As indicated in this Figure, the tray includes a bottom panel 10 which is foldably connected on opposite sides by parallel fold lines 11 to outer sidewalls 12. The sidewalls 12 are hingedly connected at 13 to top panels 14 which define the thickness of the hollow walls. The top panels 14 are hingedly connected along parallel fold lines 15 to sidewall liner panels 16. The edges of the liner panels 16 which will form the lower edges thereof are connected at 17 to glue flaps 19.

The ends of the bottom panel 10 are connected by parallel fold lines 20 to end walls 21. Top flaps 22 are hingedly connected to the upper edges of the end walls along fold lines 23. Locking flaps 24 are hingedly connected to the inner edges of the top flaps 22 along parallel fold lines 25.

Sidewall generally triangular gusset flaps 26 are foldably connected to the ends of the sidewalls 12 along fold lines 27 which are parallel to and slightly inset from the fold lines 20. Generally triangular gusset flaps 29 are foldably connected to the side edges of the end walls 21 along fold lines 30 which are extensions of the fold lines 11. Each adjoining pair of gusset flaps 26 and 29 is foldably connected along a diagonal fold line 31. As is indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the diagonal fold lines 31 are arranged at an angle from the fold lines 27 which is slightly less than 45, as, for example, 43. Thus the angle between the diagonal fold lines 31 and the foldlines 30 forming the sides of the end walls 21 is slightly greater than 45 as, for example, 47. This arrangement tends to draw the gusset panels against the ends of the sidewall liner panels when the carton is closed.

The top walls 14 and the sidewall liner panels 16 are slightly longer than the sidewalls 12, acting to tighten the comers of the the assembled carton. Angular areas of embossment 33 are provided at the outer ends of the gusset flaps 26, these embossed areas being on what will become outer surfaces of these flaps so that the embossed areas will engage into the notches 36 in the upper edges of the gusset flaps 29 to contact the end walls 21.

Slots 34 extend into the ends of the top walls at the juncture between the top walls and the sidewall liner panels 16. These slots 34 also extend slightly into the liner panels 16. This is of importance as it permits the tray to lock in a set up form.

In forming the tray, the blank is folded along the fold lines 13 so as to position the top panels 14 and portions of the liner panels 16 overlying the sidewalls 12. The proportions are such that when thus folded, the fold lines 17 are spaced inwardly of the fold lines 11 a dis tance equal to the width of the top walls 14. The glue flaps 19 are adhered in face contact with the bottom panel 10. The blanks are normally furnished in this flat form to the customer.

The tray is set up as follows. As indicated in FIG. 3, the sidewalls and the parallel liner panels are folded into right angular relation to the bottom panel, and by folding the adjoining gusset flaps inwardly, the end walls 21 may be erected, the gusset flaps 29 folded against the inner surfaces of the end walls, and the gusset flaps 26 folding into face contact with the adjoining gusset flaps 29. As also indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the anchoring flaps 24 are folded inwardly or beneath the top flaps 22 and the folded top and anchoring flaps are inserted into the notches 34.

When the folded flaps engage in the notches 34, the natural tendency for the anchoring flaps to return to unfolded position causes the inner edges 35 of the anchoring flaps 24 to flex downwardly to a small extent as controlled by the shape of the notches 34. As indicated in FIG. 6 of the drawings, when the folding operation is complete, the edges 35 engage against the inner gusset flaps 26, holding these gusset flaps from folding inwardly and also holding the end walls from folding outwardly. Thus the tray is securely held in their erected positions as indicated in FIGS. 4, and 6 of the drawings.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in DOUBLE WALL TRAY, while I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1. A tray including:

a bottom panel,

sidewall panels hingedly connected to opposite sides thereof,

top flanges hingedly connected to the upper edge of said sidewall panels,

liner panels hingedly secured to said top flanges in parallel relation to said sidewall panels,

anchoring flaps hingedly connected to said liner panels and secured in face contact with said bottom panel,

and end wall panel hingedly connected to an end of said bottom panel,

a pair of substantially triangular gusset flaps connecting said sidewall panels to said end wall panel and are connected together along diagonal fold lines forming diagonal edges,

a top flap hingedly connected to said end wall panel,

a locking flap hingedly connected to said top flap,

said liner panels including slots at the juncture of said liner panels and said top flanges into which said top flap and locking flap engage.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which areas of the triangular gusset flaps attached to said sidewalls are outwardly embossed to extend through notches in the gusset flaps secured to the end walls.

3. The structure of claim I and in which the diagonal edge of the said substantially triangular gusset flaps attached to said end wall are slightly less than 45 relative to the sides of said end walls, and the diagonal edges of said other substantially triangular panels are slightly more than 45 relative to the ends of said sidewalls.

4. The structure of claim 1 and in which the said liner panels are slightly longer than said sidewalls.

5. The structure of claim 1 and in which said locking flap is adapted to engage the inner surface of the substantially triangular gusset flaps secured to said sidewalls. 

1. A tray including: a bottom panel, sidewall panels hingedly connected to opposite sides thereof, top flanges hingedly connected to the upper edge of said sidewall panels, liner panels hingedly secured to said top flanges in parallel relation to said sidewall panels, anchoring flaps hingedly connected to said liner panels and secured in face contact with said bottom panel, and end wall panel hingedly connected to an end of said bottom panel, a pair of substantially triangular gusset flaps connecting said sidewall panels to said end wall panel and are connected together along diagonal fold lines forming diagonal edges, a top flap hingedly connected to said end wall panel, a locking flap hingedly connected to said top flap, said liner panels including slots at the juncture of said liner panels and said top flanges into which said top flap and locking flap engage.
 2. The structure of claim 1 and in which areas of the triangular gusset flaps attached to said sidewalls are outwardly embossed to extend through notches in the gusset flaps secured to the end walls.
 3. The structure of claim 1 and in which the diagonal edge of the said substantially triangular gusset flaps attached to said end wall are slightly less than 45* relative to the sides of said end walls, and the diagonal edges of said other substantially triangular panels are slightly more than 45* relative to the ends of said sidewalls.
 4. The structure of claim 1 and in which the said liner panels are slightly longer than said sidewalls.
 5. The structure of claim 1 and in which said locking flap is adapted to engage the inner surface of the substantially triangular gusset flaps secured to said sidewalls. 